280 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [ Solanee. 
adjuncts of red, green, &c., at least no Sanscrit name is assigned to it by Dr. Carey in 
the Mora Indica. Dr. Ainslie gives mircha, but this is also assigned to Piper nigrum. 
Mr. Brown has long ago remarked (Congo, p. 472) that ‘‘ the fact of Capsicum fru- 
tescens being a native of Asia, seems to be set aside, merely by the appellation’ of 
Tchilli and Lada Tchilli, as given to it in the Malay Islands; Cailli, either simply, or 
in composition, being the Mexican name for all the varieties and species of this genus.” 
The Capsicum, however, is now very extensively cultivated every where, both in the 
plains and mountains, and forms one of the articles of export from the latter to the 
former; but from this no argument can be drawn, as the same would apply to the 
common Tobacco, an undoubted native of America; but all may be adduced, as well as 
the Potatoe, coming fast into use, as strong arguments against the so frequently stated 
unchangeable habits of the Hindoos. : | 
The Solanee contain so many well-known narcotic plants, that the whole may be 
considered of a suspicious nature; though to this, there are, no doubt, many excep- 
tions, whether the result of the secretion of a smaller quantity of active principle in 
proportion to the mass of inert vegetable matter, or to the increase of the latter, in 
consequence of cultivation. Thus the large fruits of the Egg-plant and Tomato are both 
eaten, as the Potatoe, after being subjected to heat, which probably destroys some - 
portion of deleterious principle in all, as it no doubt does in the last, as well as in the 
Cassava. Some of the species of Physalis, or winter Cherry, are subacid and edible; 
others are considered narcotic; and though the herbaceous parts of some of the 
Solanums are used as a pot-herb, Dr.Wallich has mentioned his witnessing the case of 
an officer, who suffered from the narcotic powers of one of these, which had been 
employed as an ingredient ina soup. A bitter principle is secreted by Solanum pseudo- 
guina, as well as in the calyx of several species of Physalis. The former is in Brazil 
employed as a substitute for Peruvian bark, and the Capsicums are well known for the 
acrid and pungent principle they secrete. 
But the great mass of species, as before stated, are possessed of narcotic properties, 
es may be witnessed in Atropa Belladonna, Datura, Hyoscyamus, and some of the 
Solanums ; the powers of which are supposed to depend on the presence of the Alcaloids, 
Atropine, Daturine, Hyoscyamine, Solanine. The same properties are observed in 
Solandra, Jaborosa, Mandragora, Nicandra, Physalis, Cestrum, &c. Several of the 
family are employed as narcotics by the hukeems of India, as Henbane (bunj), Datura 
(jowz-masil, i.e. methel), the seeds of which are frequently employed in India for 
poisoning. Solanum nigrum (anub ul salib), Physalis somnifera (asgund), Nicandra 
indica (kaknuj, al kaknegi, Alkekengi, Auct.), though there is some doubt whether this 
may not have become a substitute for Physalis somnifera. 
In the introductory observations, it has been stated that in the cold weather of 
Northern India, or from October to March, the annuals of Europe, whether used as 
vegetables or as medicines, could be successfully grown; while in the mountains, the 
same plants found a congenial climate from April to October. Accordingly, at these 
stations 
